Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-12-08
Toinette and the Tiger.
BY WALLACE p. REED

but h S wife's face wore n trubled look.
Perhaps we had better stay at
home she said.
Nonsense. replied LaRue, There
Is no danger These circus men are
always spread ng some wild rumors
about the escape OF lions and tigers.
They do It TO ad ,ert So the show. You
are not afraid are you, Toineilep'
1onette. n pretty girl OF l6, tossed
her golden tresses with an air OF dis
dain.
II am not going out" she said.
''and the tiger is not likely to come
into the house. Marie Will demand all
my attent on while Won are gone.
Mr. LnRue and his wife were on the
way to the village. some six miles dis
tant. when tbs conversation took place
For n day or two the country people
had been somewhat exc ted over the
report that royal Bengal tiger had
escaped from the menagerie attached
to the Great Western Circus. then ex-
hibting at II neighboring town. but
nothing definite could he learned, and
many agreed with L,Rue that the story
WAS nothing but an advertising dodge.
Toinctte watched her parents us thew
drove off in q buggy. and waved her
hand to them rs they disappeared
around the bend in the road.
The girl was strickenly fair and deli
cate for farmers daughter. Her
wac ty. inner. ted doubtless with her
French blood. were all that saved her
from be NJ dOll-lske beauty, with her
pink AID white complexion and hair
like spun gold.
"Toinette! To netter yelled the baby
sister. a bright little 3-vear-old, won't
90 tum and play cirky P
Marie had never seen q circus, but
she had heard all about it, and on this
particular morning she had brought
out her collection OF toys. and was de-
term ned 10 get up a monster Aygre-
CATION of Wonders" that would rival
those advert sed BY the Great Western.
ToineIte saw that she was in for IT,
Let me see il the coast is clcnrl"
she excla med, as she ran to tho front
door.
There was nothing in sight on the
lonely road. and not human figure
was to be seen in the fields surrounding
the house.
Alone in this sol tude, with tho near
OF i,rI, I,nr ,,,il 4 g.,
a moment yielded to Slight nervous
ness. Then she shrugged her shoulders
IN her French way and laughed.
This is a p cnic for Marie" she
said, ''nnd | suppose l must assist her
in turning the house upside down"
For nm hour or so the two had n
delightful romp. The family cat was
harnCsSed to little wagon and made
to trot around an imaginary ring until.
revolving in high dudgcon. she toro
herself loose from the harness, aud fed
10 the woods. All Of the playthings
were uliizol in turn. until finally
Marie threw them petulautlY away,
and clamored for new pleasure
1T WAS no slight task to umuse this
spoiled child but To nette WIS good
natured, and nothing delighted her
more than frolic. After ever thing
else had been tried she thought of one
resource that had never been known
to fail.
Now let's blow bubbles" she
suggested
a scream Of pleasure from Marie
showed that no better scheme could
have been devised.
In another moment the two had
established themselves at the end of
tie back piazza, with b z bowl OF
sudS and II couple Of clav pipes.
The servants had been given holi-
day on account of tho rcus and
perfect silence re gned W tn the ex-
ception of the shouts raised bv Toinelte
and Marie when an unusually large
bubble tloated upward like II gorgeous
little balloon.
Tonettc had all child's fancy for
gaudy colors, and she found herself
watching the prismatic hues OF the big
bubbles with intense interest
A low growl d sturbed her, and
caused her to look aroand
big cat" said Marie, cheap big
germ our cat. A mt she p itty?"
TOiuette's blood froze with terror as
she turned her head.
On the piazza, between the Urls and
the buck door stood royal Bengal
tiger!
just what To'nette would have done
W u never he known. Fortunately the
tiger action decided tho matter One
of Maric's bubbles had floaied n his
direction. 1t rested lightly on the tip
of his nose. and. sounding of. it SHIN
mered with dazzling magnicence for
second and then collapsed.
The ger was inquest onably astsn-
ished. 1t beat an thing that he had
ever seen in the circus. He looked
puzzled for an nstant aud then turned
towards the girls with growl.
Hardly knowing what she was about,
Toimette mechanically blew another
bubble. 1t Goated grandly out into
the open r and in the sunlight shone
with dazzlng radiance.
The tiger sat down on his launches
and followed the airy nothing with his
eyes.
He was royal looking beast. and
one OF the largest OF his species. His
body was of bright orange yellow,
with transverse bars of black. con trast-
ing well with his white throat and
gri, ish face.
All this Toinette took in, together
with the brutc's savage teeth, his mar
vellous snpplencss and grace, and his
formidable claws
100. see her whiskers," said Marie
calmv. OBS Big cat wonder?"
A sudden inspiration struck Tonctte,